150 MR, A. W. BENNETT ON THE FLORAL 
ordinary arrangement, a careful search discovered cast-off caps 
in positions which suggested that they had been thrown off 
with some violence, from some cause comparable, possibly, 
to the elasticity of the valves of the ripe capsules. 1 am 
inclined to think, though further observation is necessary before 
this can be considered determined, that the filaments of these 
inconspicuous flowers are elastic, the different positions in which 
they are found at different stages of the bud being due to their 
efforts to throw off the cap. 
With regard to the fertilization of Impatiens fulva, there can 
be no doubt that self-impregnation takes place in the ^ cleisto- 
genous" flowers at a very early period, fruitful capsules ap- 
pearing almost invariably to result from them. The conspieuous 
flowers are stated by all observers to be usually barren, though 
undoubtedly they sometimes produce seed-vessels; and, as far as 
I could observe, when this is the case the capsules contain the 
same average number of seeds as do those produced from the 
“ cleistogenous " flowers. How the impregnation of these 18 
effected I have been unable to determine. The arrangement of 
the stamens and the wing-like membrane before described ap- 
pear to render self-fertilization absolutely impossible; and the 
singular part of these provisions ‘is, that they do not seem to be 
constructed to favour cross-fertilization, but absolute sterility, 48 
far as these flowers are concerned. The pendent position of the 
flowers causes the anthers to open with the opening directed 
downwards ; and the inequality of the filaments already described 
occasions the line of the opened anthers to be horizontal. The 
whorl of stamens is very easily detached bodily, so as to ex- 
pose the stigma; but I have failed to discover that this ever 
takes place spontaneously; the whole flower drops together, the 
pistil generally being detached at the same time; and were the 
pistil left behind, there would be nothing to cause insects to be 
attracted to it; and I can only suggest that the pollen is brought 
to it by the chance action of the wind. I have never seen any 
insect visit the Impatiens ; but it would seem very strange if so 
handsome and complex a flower has been constructed without any 
benefit thereby resulting to the species. It would be interest- 
ing to know whether it is visited by insects in its native country. 
The only hint I can find on this subject is in a very old and scarce 
book, *New England's Rarities discovered in Birds, Fishes, Ser- 
